Safe in His Arms
by bunnyfungo
Summary: The Grave Digger haunts Brennan's dreams and it turns out the only way she can fall asleep is in his arms. Will Brennan finally admit to herself what Booth means to her?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is my first attempt at fanfic but I have previously posted this story to another site where I got some really positive feedback. I decided that maybe it was time to quit lurking around here and post myself. Enjoy!**

Chapter 1

Brennan hadn't been sleeping well. It had been exactly one year since she had been kidnapped by the Grave Digger and although she was usually able to keep her emotions in check, she had started to have nightmares about her kidnapping. Flashes of memories, all too vivid, laced with visions of him watching her, waiting for her. She would awake in a panic, her pulse racing, sweat dripping down her back. She could never get back to sleep after that. It had been days since she had gotten a full night's sleep and the fact was beginning to wear on her face and in her eyes.

"Sweetie, it's after 8 you should really think about going home," Angela said walking into her friend's office. Brennan was at her desk, face buried in her hands. "Are you alright?" Angela asked, the concern apparent in her voice.

"I'm fine. I just need some sleep." Brennan responded. She didn't want to go into the details with Angela. She knew that would only make her more worried.

"Even more proof that you should go home."

"I can't, Ange, I've got a ton of work to do."

"Sweetie, are you sure you're okay?" Angela knew Brennan better than anyone and she sensed that there was something more going on here.

"Really, I'm fine. Look, I promise I'll only be another hour, maybe two."

"Okay, but if you need to talk…"

"I know. Thanks Ange," Brennan said as she rubbed her eyes, trying to regain focus. "I should get back to work."

Angela knew that was her cue to leave. She stopped in the door way, throwing one more glance at her friend. She knew there was something more going on here, but she also knew not to push it with Brennan. As she walked back to her office she passed Booth in the hallway.

"Hey, you know where Bones is?" He asked.

"Yeah, she's in her office. Hey, see if you can get her to go home and get some rest, will you?" Angela hoped that maybe if Brennan wouldn't listen to her, she would at least listen to her partner.

"Um…okay." Booth responded, his curiosity intrigued by Angela's comments.

"Knock, knock," Booth said as he rapped on the door frame to announce his presence.

"Hey, what are you doing here, it's kind of late." Brennan said, looking up from her desk.

"Funny, I was just going to say the same thing to you." Booth could tell immediately by looking at her that Brennan was exhausted. She looked as though she hadn't slept in days. "You feeling alright, Bones?"

"I'm fine. Why does everyone keep asking me that?"

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that you look like you just got hit with a ton of bricks."

"Gee thanks. You really know how to make a woman feel good about herself," Brennan retorted snidely.

"Sorry. It's just that you look like you could use some sleep."

"I really could," she muttered under her breath, shaking her head.

Booth moved across the room and took a seat opposite Brennan. Catching her words, he placed a hand on her arm. "Hey, Bones, if there's anything you want to talk about, you know I'm here."

"It's nothing, Booth." She was trying her hardest to stay strong but his proximity was overwhelming and looking into his eyes she started to feel the tears well up in her own.

"It's not nothing, Bones, we're partners, you have to trust me." Booth's voice was barely above a whisper now as he leaned in even closer, making sure to hold her gaze.

Brennan knew she had lost the fight when the first tear spilled down her cheek. As she brought her hand to her cheek to wipe away the tear she looked away. She couldn't look at him when she spoke. "It's the Grave Digger," she whispered. "I can't stop thinking about that night. I can't sleep. I just keep seeing it over and over again. He's still out there Booth."

Booth stood up, without saying a word, walked around the desk and pulled her up into an embrace. For once she let herself relax completely in his arms as he tightened his grip around her and stroked her hair.

"I'm sorry, Bones. I should have known." Booth said as he took a step back and placed his hand on her face, stroking her soft skin with his thumb.

She was silent for a long while before she finally moved to the couch and sat down. Booth followed her lead and took a seat beside her, searching her eyes, unsure of what to say or do. He had never seen her this vulnerable and he didn't want to make the wrong move.

Finally she spoke, "I keep having these nightmares. Sometimes they are nothing more than bad memories. But other times I can see him, feel him watching me. Logically, I know the dreams are a result of stress from the anniversary of the kidnapping, but for the first time I can't seem to separate my emotions from the situation, which in some ways scares me more."

Booth couldn't help but be amazed by her strength. _She really is the most incredible woman I've ever met._ Not knowing what to say, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, bringing her closer to him. She laid her head on his shoulder and he in turn laid his cheek on her forehead. "This feels…safe," she whispered."

"Bones, I'm sorry that I couldn't protect you," Booth started as he turned towards his partner, pushing a strand of her auburn hair from her face and tucking it behind her ear. "I felt so helpless myself. I'm not sure you'll ever know how hard it was for me, knowing I couldn't do anything for you, knowing that I let you down. If anything had happened to you I don't know if I could have forgiven myself. Bones, I just want you to know that I care about you more than you will ever know….Bones?" Booth chuckled as he realized that his partner was fast asleep, her head still on his shoulder.

Booth didn't have the heart to wake her. He knew how much she needed this sleep. He just pulled her closer and smoothed her hair, "I love you, Bones," he whispered, knowing she couldn't hear him. He gently kissed her forehead and leaned further into the couch as sleep settled on him as well.

"Bren, please don't tell me you stayed hear all night," Angela called as she walked into her friend's office. Angela had noticed when she arrived that Brennan's lights were on in her office. _She told me she was going to leave, but I bet she's asleep at her desk_

Angela was not prepared for what she found when she walked into Brennan's office. There on the couch were Brennan and Booth sleeping soundly, Booth spooning Brennan, with his arm around her waist, his face nuzzled into her neck. Brennan had her fingers entwined with his, almost as if to make sure he wouldn't let go. They had found this position, unconsciously, sometime in the middle of the night and had stayed that way for the remainder. Brennan, feeling secure in his arms, was finally able to sleep the whole night through.

Angela covered her mouth with her hand to stop herself from squealing with joy. _No way these two are ever going to live this one down_, she thought as she pulled her camera phone from her pocket. After snapping a few incriminating photos she snuck back out of the office. She wanted to make sure that they woke up on their own account. She couldn't wait to hear them try to explain themselves out of this one.

**Please R & R, it really makes my day :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I just wanted to say thanks again to everyone who left me a review! Those things really make an author's day. Anyhoo. Here is the next chapter for you. I know it's a shortie but I promise there will be more tomorrow :)**

Chapter 2

Booth was the first to wake. He immediately recognized his surroundings and tried to remain as still as possible. He didn't want to wake her up. Instead he lay there, savoring the last remaining moments before she would wake, swimming in his senses, her proximity intoxicating. The scent of her hair, the softness of her skin, the rise and fall of her chest with every breath, it was almost overwhelming. There he lay, watching her sleep, hoping for the moment to never end.

------

Brennan awoke feeling contented, having slept better than she probably ever had. She felt refreshed at finally having slept an entire night. As she opened her eyes she could see that she was not alone and quickly shook her hand from the man's grasp. Her mind was a little foggy and she was having difficulty remembering the details of the previous night. Quickly, she rolled on to her other side only to come face to face with Booth.

"Good morning," he whispered, smiling gently at her.

Brennan froze, her mind racing, trying to put together the pieces of the previous night. She realized she must have fallen asleep while he was still there. She couldn't believe that he had stayed here with her. She wasn't sure how to feel. On the one hand she was grateful that he had stayed here with her, although it was probably out of some unwarranted protective instinct. On the other hand she was scared by the level of intimacy that sleeping together suggested. Realizing that she hadn't yet responded to him she let out a weak, "Good morning."

Then she made the mistake of looking into his eyes. She became locked in his gaze and all thoughts were swept from her mind. The two of them lay face to face, mere millimeters separating them, lost in each others gaze, each conveying countless unspoken emotions.

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It took all of Booth's strength not to kiss her. He could feel the electricity between them, as if they were radiating pure energy. All of this without any physical contact, made him afraid of the explosion that might occur within his senses if he closed the small gap between them. For a moment, though, he thought he saw a flicker of desire in her eyes and his body tensed as he tried to keep himself from giving in to his own urges.

------

A war waged in Brennan's mind. For a moment she thought that he might kiss her, thought she saw passion in his eyes. She almost succumbed. But then her logical side won out and she sucked in a quick breath as her mind raged in opposite directions. For once her feelings were putting up a powerful front and she wasn't sure how long she could contain them with pure reason.

------

In an instant their trance was broken. Booth's cell phone let out a loud ring and jumped along the edge of the coffee table as it vibrated.

Startled, Brennan slipped off the edge of the couch, wide-eyed, landing with a thud on the floor. Booth slammed his eyes closed and grimaced, knowing the moment was lost. Slowly he sat up and extended a hand to Brennan, who was still on the floor. As he pulled her up beside him he grabbed for his phone, "Booth. Yeah. Got it. We'll be right there."

Booth shut his phone and turned to his partner, "Well, Bones, it looks like we have a case."

**Alright, go R & R already!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I just wanted to say thanks again for all the wonderful reviews! Keep 'em coming.** **Also, Happy New Year's to everyone! Read on for classic Angela nosiness...**

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Chapter 3

Angela was standing over Hodgins' shoulder at his work station when they finally emerged. She had been watching Brennan's door like a hawk ever since she had discovered them. She laughed to herself as she watched Booth try to usher Brennan out of her office. He caught himself before he made his usual move of placing his hand at the small of her back, his arm already extended. Instead he clenched his hand into a fist as he raised his arm away from her.

Angela sauntered over coolly. "Booth, that's funny I didn't see you come in," she said through a smirk.

"Yeah, well I-" Booth was cut off as Angela continued her inquisition.

"And isn't that what you were wearing yesterday? Did you spend the night here?" She asked playfully.

By this point Hodgins had wandered over, not wanting to be left out on whatever dirt his fiancée had dug up on the non-couple. "Whatcha guys talking about?" He asked with a knowing grin.

"Just the fact that these two finally slept together last night." Angela stood back with her arms crossed, a proud smile displayed across her face.

Angela's statement was enough to cause Zack and Cam to look up from the images they had been studying on a screen up on the platform, the disbelief apparent in their faces.

"Angela!" Brennan hissed at her friend.

"Way to go man!" Hodgins said, extending his hand to the FBI agent, who now glared at him menacingly. "Or not," he said, quickly retracting his fingers.

"Okay, for the record, we did _not_ sleep together," Booth said as he placed his hands on his hips, daring any of them to doubt him.

"Well actually, technically we did sleep together."

Booth turned to face his partner, his jaw open in disbelief. It was times like these when he really wished that his partner could grasp the simple subtleties of human interaction. Although Angela's sexual innuendo had been noticed by every other person in the room, it had been lost on Brennan. _Why does she always have to be so literal?_

"Not that it's any of your business," Booth said as he cast an evil eye at the surrounding Squints, "But we did not have sex. We may have fallen asleep in her office, but that's it."

The definitiveness in his tone told the Squints that there would be no further discussion and that the matter was closed. That was all that Hodgins, Zack and Cam needed to resume their work. Only Angela remained, a steely gaze fixed on the pair. Still standing with her arms crossed she poked her tongue into her cheek and nodded her head, uttering, "Uh, huh," in a still disbelieving tone.

"Right, so Bones and I have to go to a crime scene and do some real work, you should try it," Booth said as he grabbed the forensic anthropologist by her arm and began to drag her out of the lab.

------

"You know it's okay to be embarrassed," Booth prodded. They were in his SUV now, on their way to the crime scene. After the little display in the lab Booth knew that they wouldn't be able to play-off that last night hadn't happened. He decided to test the waters and broach the subject light-heartedly.

"Embarrassed? Why should I be embarrassed? If anything _you_ should be embarrassed," Brennan replied stubbornly.

"What? Me? Why me?" Booth stammered, shocked that she was turning this thing around on him. This was not exactly the reaction he was anticipating.

"You were the one that was sleeping next to me, in what can only be described as a

post-coital position," she said matter-of-factly as she crossed her arms across her chest and threw him a sideways glance.

"God, Bones!" Booth was starting to feel uncomfortable. He was never one for sex talk, especially not with her. He gripped his left hand tighter around the steering wheel as he loosened his tie with his right. "Look, the word is spooning, okay? Spooning. Besides, it's not like I could go anywhere with your death grip holding me in place."

"What are talking about?" She asked through nervous laughter.

"C'mon bones, you were holding my hand. It's okay to admit that you just wanted to feel my arms around you, although I never really had you pegged as a cuddler," he said, as the left side of his mouth drew up into a sly smile. She was starting to get flustered now and he was enjoying the opportunity to tease her.

"God," she muttered under her breath. She shook her head at his cockiness and turned to stare out the passenger window, successfully answering without a definitive no.

Booth took his eyes off the road to look at his partner. Realizing that this might not be the best way to approach the topic he took his hand and placed it over hers, giving it a little squeeze. "Seriously though, Bones, I think we should talk about this."

She didn't want to talk about it, though. She knew she couldn't say what she really felt. She had started realizing her true feelings about her partner over the last few weeks. Every time he would look at her she could feel her cheeks burn. Every touch would send her heart racing. Every time he would lean in closer to her to speak she could almost feel the softness of his lips. She desperately wished to be back in his arms but was too scared to admit this to him. "Look, Booth, there's nothing to talk about. Nothing happened." She said, finally turning back to look at him.

Booth's heart sank a little at her response. Although he hadn't expected her to confess her undying love for him he was disappointed that she could brush it off so easily. _Something_ had happened to him. For a moment she was in his arms and all of his fantasies had come true. For a moment she was his. Then in a flash it was gone, and here they were. He sat in silence for a moment. A part of him wanted to pull over, take her in his arms, touch her soft lips with his and show her the passion that he held captive in his heart. Instead he looked down at his hand, still placed gently over hers, and entwined his fingers with hers, "It was nice though, huh?" He asked, smiling at her, through only his eyes.

"You know, it really was," she replied, as she gently squeezed his hand.

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**So, if you are all very good and review lots and lots I'll post Chapter 4 tomorrow! What are you waiting for? R & R!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: For everyone who has been reading and reviewing my story I just want to say thank you sooo much. I really am blown away by the response I've gotten from this story. As promised here is the next chapter. **

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Chapter 4

As she walked across the clearing Brennan pulled her hair back into a loose knot. She approached the remains cautiously making sure not to disturb anything that might be deemed evidence. The body lay half buried in the earth, only fragments of bone protruding from the surface. Local hikers had happened upon the body, the dog that was with them had caught the scent. Pawing furiously at the ground, he had uncovered the skull. Brennan crouched above the skull now. She quickly glanced across the entire length of the skeleton before gently brushing aside soil with her gloved hand.

Brennan studied the remains carefully. Most people saw only a pile of bones, a skull and a collection of vertebrae holding the remnants of limbs. Only Brennan could look at the tangle of bone and discern anything human. Slowly, she began to speak, never taking her eyes off the remains in front of her, "The victim is definitely female. I'd say between 18 and 24, Caucasian. Judging by the rate of decomp I would say she's been here at least 3 months.

She was probably a college student. Most likely a freshman, based on the high school class ring she still wore on her left hand. Brennan read the inscription surrounding the blue gem as she placed the ring into an evidence bag, "Roosevelt Senior High School, class of 2007." She now ran her fingers over the length of the femur, across the patella and down the tibia and fibula. Reaching the tarsals she stopped. A dancer, this girl was a dancer. She could identify the stress markers on her feet that had been made by years of pointe.

Brennan stopped herself, closing her eyes to try and prevent the wave of emotion threatening to crash through her body. She had found herself especially emotionally charged the past few days, which she attributed mostly to her lack of sleep. Now as she glanced up at a particularly handsome FBI agent she remembered waking up in his arms and knew that his presence might also have something to do with it.

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Booth looked down at Brennan in awe. It wasn't her forensic anthropology training that had captured his attention; he had seen her do this many times before. Instead his amazement fell to her intense focus. Just moments ago she had been Bones, friend and partner. In an instant she had been able to change gears to become Dr. Temperance Brennan, forensic anthropologist and empirical scientist.

Booth found himself studying her face with the same quiet intensity that she used to study the bones. He watched as her eyes narrowed and a small wrinkle caught on her brow, the unmistakable look of a woman who had uncovered a clue. He couldn't help but to be taken with her. Although at times her intelligence and social awkwardness could be annoying, it could also be equal parts endearing and down right sexy. Even now, as she crouched in the dirt, surrounded by death, wearing that god-awful blue jumpsuit, he could only see her beauty.

The intensity of her eyes was unveiled now that her hair was pulled back from her face. He could almost swear that they were absorbing the color from the garment she was wearing. His gaze shifted to her neck which was elongated now as she leaned over to study the body more intensely. Her top, being slightly too large, hung loosely and the top of her shoulder and collarbone peeked out; her creamy alabaster skin calling out to him, begging him to taste and to touch. He licked his lips as if to sate his desire.

It was only after she had called his name a third time that he realized that she had been speaking to him. He cleared his throat as he snapped back to attention, "Sorry, what was that?"

Brennan fixed her eyes on him, staring intently, as if she could somehow deduce what he was thinking using only the expression found in his eyes. A few moments passed and he cocked a questioning smile. She shook her head and repeated her findings.

------

Brennan looked up to find Booth watching her, but the look in his eyes was different than it usually was when he hovered around her at a crime scene. He seemed lost in his thoughts. He wasn't taking notes as she spoke like he usually did, he just kept watching her. It was then that she recognized that look. It was a look of desire, of hunger. Under normal circumstances she would probably feel uncomfortable receiving such a stare from her partner, but now she felt…relieved? Yes, relieved. The kind of relief you feel when you realize that your partner is having the same sort of unprofessional thoughts about you as you are about him; the kind of thoughts like the ones flashing through her mind right now. She felt a burn in her cheeks as a rosy color crept across her face. It was then that she remembered where she was and how even more inappropriate her thoughts had been given her current surroundings.

She quickly bowed her head and leaned across the body before her, taking in another look, trying to buy time to compose herself. She looked up again and called her partner's name, "Booth…Booth? Booth!"

Her voice seemed to break him from his trance and a look of embarrassment washed over his face as he realized that she had caught him with his mind somewhere else. "Sorry, what was that?"

Brennan looked at him for a long moment, trying to find the desire that she had previously read in his eyes. But then he flashed her that smile, as if to question what she was looking at. Standing, she repeated her findings to him as she handed a passing agent the evidence bag she was still clutching in her hands. She removed her gloves as she walked away from the remains and urged the surrounding agents to take adequate soil samples and have everything shipped back to the Jeffersonian. When she turned back to look at Booth he smiled sheepishly at her and broke into a slow trot to catch up to her. As she turned to face forward again she smiled to herself hoping that maybe, just maybe, he was as distracted by her as she was by him.

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It was late when Brennan arrived back at the lab from the crime scene. She had resigned herself to the fact that most of the squints would be gone, so she had decided to finish some paperwork before going home. As she walked into her office she spotted Angela on her couch. Her first impulse was to walk the other direction, but unfortunately she had also been spotted.

"Hey Sweetie!"

"Hey Ange. Listen, I don't really have time to talk right now," Brennan said, already knowing that she did not want to hear whatever it was that Angela wanted to say to her.

Angela was having none of it, "Sweetie, I think we need to talk about this morning. And not in a _You-should-tell-your-best-friend-all-the-juicy-details_ kind of way, but more in a_You-will-never-understand-the-true-meaning-of-your-actions-unless-your-best-friend-explains-it_ sort of way."

Brennan stared at her friend blankly.

"Exactly my point," Angela muttered to herself as she ushered her friend to the couch. "So, tell me what happened so that I may interpret."

"Nothing happened, Ange. I haven't been sleeping well the last few nights. Nightmares."

"Right, the Gravedigger." Angela nodded her head knowingly.

"Wait, how did you-"

"Look, honey, I sleep in the same bed as Hodgins. I know. Keep going."

"That's it. I haven't been sleeping well, Booth showed up at the lab, I was overly exhausted, I fell asleep." Brennan was starting to get annoyed and it was showing in her voice. She didn't understand how Angela couldn't get it, it seemed so simple to her.

"So, did you have a nightmare?" Angela prodded.

"What? When?" The question caught Brennan off guard.

"Last night. Did you have a nightmare last night?"

"No." Brennan answered timidly, afraid that the wrong answer would throw her friend into a long-winded explanation of the deeper meanings of dreams.

"Hmm. Do you think that maybe that might have something to do with the fact that you spent the night in the safety of a certain FBI agent's arms?" Angela asked, tilting her head and half-smiling at her friend.

"I didn't spend the night in his arms. This couch is really not meant for two people and there are only so many positions that allow two grown adults to sleep comfortably." Even Brennan could see through her explanation.

"Look, Bren, you don't have to believe me, because trust me, someday this is all going to become glaringly obvious, even to you. But you and Booth have something special. You call it friendship and partnership, I call it sexual tension. Whatever. I just think that maybe you need to start looking at the situations that you two end up in and wonder if maybe it's not an accident. Maybe there is a reason that you ended up sleeping together. Maybe there is a reason that you didn't have that nightmare."

Brennan started to reply but Angela stopped her.

"Don't say anything, just think about it," Angela said as she handed her friend a photo frame and walked out of her office, a sly grin spreading across her face.

Brennan stared down at a photo of herself and Booth sleeping peacefully on her couch. She found herself lightly tracing the edges of the frame with her fingertips. Then, as a smile broke out across her face she brought the same fingers up to touch her lips.

------

She could sense the danger. Clawing, ripping, fighting. All escape attempts foiled. Then fear. Crying, screaming, broken.

Brennan awoke in a panic, trying to claw her way free of the sheets. Realizing where she was she stopped as she let out a hitched breath and the sobs took over her body.

Without thinking she got out of her bed, put on her shoes, and shrugged on her coat. Quickly grabbing her keys, she disappeared into the night.

------

Booth opened one groggy eye and then another as the knocking got louder. Reaching for the alarm clock next to his bed he could barely make out the numbers: 2:47. He rubbed a hand through his hair and over his face as he pulled the covers away from himself. _This better be good._

When he opened the door he thought he might still be dreaming, "Bones, what are you….what are you doing here?" Then seeing the panic in her eyes he instantly became alert, "What's wrong."

She didn't answer, at least not at first. She just took a step forward and threw herself into his arms, burying her face in his chest. He stood in disbelief for a moment before wrapping his arms tightly around her, laying a cheek on the top of her head. When she stepped back he moved a hand to cup the side of her face, stroking the soft skin of her cheek with his thumb. He waited for her to speak, knowing that the next words must come from her.

"I couldn't sleep," was all she said, never taking her eyes from his.

Booth just nodded and flashed her a calming smile, "C'mon in."

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**The next chapter will be all kinds of smutterfluffy. But not if you don't R & R...so get to it!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Alright, so I wrote this chapter before I ever even found FF. Because I wrote it for the Boneyard I had to keep it PG-13, although what I had originally would most definitely have been rated M. But alas, I edited it down and of course I didn't save a copy of the smuttier version. So this will have to do. But now that I know I can be as smutty as I want over here, you can look forward to some M rated fanfics in the future :) **

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Chapter 5 

It was only after Brennan had entered her partner's apartment that she realized that he was clad only in boxers. Her heart skipped a beat as her eyes landed on his sculpted chest. It was all she could do not to reach out and trace the contours with her fingers. In frustration she turned to face away from him. She silently cursed herself for not having thought this out beforehand. She had felt the urge to go to him and so she had. But now that she stood before him she was at a loss for what to do or say.

And then he was behind her. Her body tensed and she sucked in a quick breath as she felt his hands at her shoulders. She relaxed at the realization that he was only removing her coat, a movement he had made many times before. Only this time felt different. His fingers gently brushed against her skin, burning a trail along the length of her arms, as the jacket finally fell from her body.

On a base instinct she turned around to face him, their bodies mere inches apart. Her eyes locked with his and for the second time that day she felt lost in his gaze. This was more intense. She was drowning in those chocolaty pools, gasping for air as she struggled to free herself from his stare. She felt as though she were looking directly into his soul, afraid by what she saw. Was that hunger? For her?

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Booth hadn't thought past inviting her in. He quickly closed the door behind them, but fear left him gripping the knob. When he finally turned to face her he saw that she hadn't made it far into the apartment. She stood, biting her bottom lip, just looking at him. He followed her eyes to his chest and suddenly became very aware of his attire, or lack there of. He was also aware that if she kept looking at him like that he would have no way to hide the feelings of desire shooting through his body. He was relieved when she finally turned away from him.

As she turned he caught a glimpse of the camisole that she wore beneath her jacket. It was because of his desire to see her in only that thin layer of cotton, rather than his politeness as a host, which caused him to go to her and help her remove her jacket. As soon as he touched her he knew he had made a mistake. He shivered as fantasies flashed through his mind; fantasies of taking her in his arms and pushing her up against the wall while his hands, lips and tongue performed very unprofessional tasks.

When she turned to look at him all conscious thought fled from his mind. He let the coat fall to the floor and placed a hand on her hip, squeezing gently. He was trying to decide his next move when he felt her lips brush against his. He let out a soft moan at her unexpected action, pulling his hand up from his side and threading it through her luscious auburn locks as he deepened the kiss.

------

When Booth put his hand on Brennan's hip she was pushed over the edge. She _needed_ to kiss him, and not out of some biological imperative. This kiss was born from a raw emotional need that only he could satisfy. And so she touched her lips to his, almost tentatively at first. But when he let out that moan she lost all control. Her lips parted as his tongue begged for entrance. She allowed him an initial sweep of discovery before entangling her tongue with his.

From the outside the kiss appeared animalistic, purely sexual gratification, as she plunged her tongue into the depths of his mouth, committing his taste to memory. On the contrary, the kiss was fraught with emotion; as if all the emotions she had ever trapped inside of her were bursting forth, like a breaking dam. She placed her hands on his chest, the chest she had been afraid to touch earlier, sliding her fingers over his firm muscles as she made her way to his neck.

The kiss broke as a necessity for air but Booth immediately moved his mouth to her ear, exhaling a heated breath before nibbling at her earlobe. A shiver of gratification swept down her spine, giving him the encouragement to continue delivering kisses along the length of her neck. He stopped at the spot where her neck and shoulder converge, the exact spot he had wanted to taste earlier, at the crime scene. He gave in to that desire now, flicking his tongue into the hollow created by her collarbone, nipping at her, hungry with passion. She moaned as she thrust her fingers into his hair and he leaned his head back with pleasure, his eyes flashing fire.

He took his cue from her and lifted her up as she wrapped her legs around his waist. The strap of her camisole slipped off her shoulder at the movement and Booth found himself lured to the newly exposed skin, needing to touch it. He was pulled away by another tug on his hair as Brennan's lips feverishly sought for his. He obliged her request as he backed her up against a wall.

The bedroom was in his sight now and he relinquished control to her as he navigated their bodies towards the door. She only released her grip on his waist when they had dropped to the bed. Straddling him now, she struggled to remove what few barriers of clothing lay between them. Finally uncovered he flipped her on her back, lying on his forearms, his face hovering above hers. He kissed her again. The hunger of the previous kisses melted away. The intensity remained but now there was sweetness, respect.

He leaned back, smoothing her hair away from her face. His eyes searched hers for doubts, seeing none he touched his forehead to hers and in a moment they were one. He laced his fingers through hers as they fell into the gentle rhythmic pace, breathing in synch. When ecstasy finally swept through their bodies he fell to her side. No words were spoken. He kissed her gently before pulling her tight against his body, returning to the same spooning position with which he had begun his day.

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**So, did you love it? Hate it? R & R to tell me what you think!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N**: **Well everybody, all good things must come to an end. Here is the final chapter of my story, sigh. I just want to say thank you to everybody for all of the reviews, they mean a lot to me! Also, I'm sorry it took me so long to post this. My Brother-in-Law was here over the weekend so I didn't have access to the internet.**

**Anyhoo. Here is the last little bit. I think I have come to a good place for an ending and I wanted to stop before I overextended myself and my writing quality went down. Assuming it hasn't already. So, here it is!**

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Chapter 6 

Brennan traced her fingers along the contours of her partner's chest, drawing lazy circles with her fingertips, using the lightest of touches. The events of the previous night were only beginning to sink in. She knew it would only be a matter of time before they had to discuss the implications of their actions. But here, in this moment, she could free her mind of all complicated thoughts, focusing only on the feel of his skin against hers. She watched as his chest rose and fell, taking in the long even breaths of a deep sleep. The sight was hypnotizing.

She knew she should leave soon. After all, she still needed to go to her apartment before heading to the lab. She assumed arriving at work in her pajamas might be a tip off that something had happened. Yet she couldn't force herself to leave, to disengage herself from his embrace. When she had woken she had found herself completely engulfed by him. Her head lay on his chest, her arm wrapped tightly around his waist, her legs tangled with his. It was such an odd sensation, so different from the nights spent alone in her bed. Even when she had been with other men there had always been a distinct line—my side, your side. With him it was different, she felt strangely drawn to him. The idea of separating her body from his was like the idea of separating herself, completely impossible and totally illogical.

She also could not bring herself to wake him. She was almost afraid that in doing so she would break the spell of whatever it was that was happening here. Instead she took the opportunity to study him in a way that she had never before been allowed, memorizing every line of his face and every curve of his body.

It wasn't until she saw the edges of his lips curl up into that all-too-familiar smile that she realized he was awake. He quickly pulled his arm from his side and took hold of her wrist, stopping her hand from continuing its perusal of his body. Opening his eyes he turned to Brennan, "You better stop doing that, unless you plan on staying in this bed all day."

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Booth was amazed that she hadn't run. When he had felt her stir he had kept his eyes closed. Being the gentleman that he was, he wanted to give her the opportunity to leave if that's what she wanted. He fully expected her to carefully remove herself from the bed and gather up the clothes strewn about on his floor. But she hadn't gone; if anything it felt as though she had pulled herself more deeply into the folds of his arms. Then she began touching his chest; the feather light strokes causing a warmth to pool in his belly. He knew that if he didn't stop her soon he wouldn't be able to control his actions. So he had reached out, taken a hold of her and told her in no uncertain terms that should she choose to continue her exploration of his body that they would not be leaving this bed today.

It wasn't that he didn't want to stay in bed all day. In fact, if he was being completely honest with himself, that was exactly what he wanted to do today. But somehow his professionalism managed to win out, just as he knew hers would. They still had a case and he was pretty sure it couldn't be solved between his sheets. He also knew that, given what had occurred between himself and his partner last night, he would have to try extra hard to prove that it had no bearing on their working relationship.

Brennan smiled sheepishly at the words he had just spoken. Returning her smile he rolled her onto her back and propped himself up on his elbow, reversing their positions. He took a moment to look at her, to take in her beauty, before placing a gentle kiss on her soft, full lips.

"What was that for?" She asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Because I can," he replied before depositing another kiss.

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Under normal circumstances the response, "Because I can," would have elicited a verbal backlash from Brennan; one that would have divulged the various anthropological meanings hidden within the context of the phrase, not the least of which being that Booth felt an irrational control, as an alpha-male, over his mate. Now, though, Brennan did not feel her usual urge to correct him. Instead she looked into his eyes and could clearly see the true meaning behind his statement. Now, after all these years, he could finally do all the things to her that he had only ever dreamt of.

"Booth, I need to know what all of this means." Finally one of them had spoken the words that had been on both of their lips.

"Bones," Booth raked his fingers through his hair as he thought carefully about his next words, "I can't speak for you, but I have felt this coming for a long time now."

"I have too."

"Really?" Although it was true that, as Angela put it, the two of them radiated sexual tension, Booth was never sure if the usually oblivious Dr. Brennan had been able to sense it too. "So, what made you finally act on it?"

"Trust, or some form of it. Angela helped me to realize that the only time I don't have those nightmares is when I'm with you. Even subconsciously I seem to know that I'm safe when I'm with you," Brennan responded, searching his eyes for a reaction, "It really was a compelling, logical argument," she finished with her usual cool, self-assuredness.

"Angela, huh?" Somehow Booth was not surprised to find that the meddling Artist had had a hand in bringing the issue to Brennan's attention. And for once he found that he really didn't mind.

"Besides," Brennan said as a smile spread across her face, "Everything happens eventually, right?"

"Right," Booth answered, a smile mirrored on his own face, as he moved in to kiss her deeply.

_Maybe it wouldn't be a _huge_ deal if we were a little late to work, _he thought as he felt desire racing through his body once again.

THE END

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**All reviews are appreciated. I'm still not sure that this is the best ending that I could have created, but I really didn't want to write another story where Brennan runs away from her feelings. But is it so OOC that you want to pull your hair out, or mine? Let me know!**

**Plus, I would appreciate anyone giving me criticism on the overall flow of the story. It would be a real help to future fanfics if I know where I went wrong.**

** That's all. Now go, R & R!**


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